"Conversations With Friends" star Alison Oliver says that being a fan of Sally Rooney, whose debut novel has been adapted into the TV series, she was in awe of the book, and as she read it, she completely fell in love with the characters. "Conversations With Friends" is all about Frances (Alison), an observant, bright, and sharp girl who performs spoken word poetry in Dublin together with her ex-girlfriend Bobbi (Sasha Lane). Alison said: "I was fascinated by the dynamic between these four characters as they're all in a very stagnant place in their lives, and meeting each other enables them to grow - I found that very interesting." "I was so compelled and moved by this intense female relationship between Bobbi and Frances. It's so beautiful and one that I resonated with and understood," she adds. "My favourite scene to film is the first dinner party that Nick and Melissa have for Bobbi and Frances after they go for a swim.
It's when they're all figuring out how to speak to each other, and there are a lot of different things at play there. It was so fun to film," she said. On prepping up for Frances's character, Alison said: "I worked primarily from the book, actually, I think the tone of the book is so distinct and clear that when I read it, it sometimes felt like I was reading Frances' diary. It would be her perspective on how she took any given moment or experience in her life." "Frances, as a character, is stuck in a lot of patterns of behaviour, and there's a lot of change happening within her relationships with Bobbi, her dad, her own identity and changes within her body that she has to figure out. So it's putting her in situations where she has to confront her own vulnerabilities and defences and confront life in a sense, which is something she's always trying to avoid. So it's a tricky time for her, but it's very compelling to observe because it feels very real and relatable," she added. "Conversations With Friends" is streaming on Lionsgate Play from May 27.